Kids, veterans to benefit from Thunder Valley Bike Rally

Thursday

Jun 12, 2014 at 9:14 AM

From kids fishing to adults and motorcycles, Kellogg Lake Park is preparing to host its second big event in as many weekends.

John Hacker

From kids fishing to adults and motorcycles, Kellogg Lake Park is preparing to host its second big event in as many weekends.The first Thunder Valley Bike Rally will be held at the east Carthage park from Friday evening to about noon Sunday and feature motorcycles, live entertainment, vendors and camping.Cost for the event is $10 for a day pass or $20 for the weekend and can be ordered online at http://www.thundervalleybikerally.com. More information is available at the event's Facebook page.Chris Howell, Carthage, the main organizer for the event, said he's been planning this for more than a year and is modeling the event on the Bikes, Blues and Barbecue event that attracts thousands of people to Fayetteville, Ark., every year in September.Four bands are scheduled to perform on the stage throughout Friday and Saturday, Magnetic South from Springfield; Borderline Band and Big Skillet from this area and the headliner, Texas Hippie Coalition, which will play at 10 p.m. on Saturday."That's the headline band that just got done playing at Rocklahoma three weeks ago," Howell said. "It's very hard to judge how many people we'll have for a first year event. Some people won't come to a first-year event just to see how it turns out. Having Texas Hippie Coalition coming in on Saturday night bumped it up to the next level. The word that I'm getting is we're looking for 2,000 to 3,000, maybe 4,000 people here for the event for the whole weekend. That blew my mind."Howell said the main entrance to the event will be on Esterly Drive, which is the west entrance to the park. The event will take over the park between the slough area and Spring River, but Kellogg Lake itself will still be open for the public to use for fishing.Howell said bikers, bands and vendors will start arriving Friday and the event will start Friday evening with Borderline Band and Big Skillet performing that first evening.Magnetic South will arrive on Saturday and perform along with Borderline Band and Big Skillet before the Texas Hippie Coalition takes over about 10 p.m.Howell said the group Bikers Against Child Abuse will host motorcycle games and the event will feature a poker run that will take bikers on Route 66 between Carthage and Joplin.On Sunday, the event will feature a Blessing of the Bikes before everyone heads for home around noon.Howell said the proceeds from the event will go to the groups Combat Veterans, to help veterans returning with injuries and psychological needs from overseas, and to the Carthage Police Department for its LaVerne Williams Christmas Party for Kids, which helps around 800 children a year in Carthage.Howell said planning the event has been a challenge, but he hopes to keep it going and make it an annual thing."We're going to make this thing grow, we're going to boost the economy in Carthage and we're going to make Carthage, hopefilly, some day, within the top 10 of bike rallys," Howell said. "We're going to make this work and raise charity money and keep this thing going."